


Redemption and Fan Mail

by The_Azkaban_Dreamer



Series: Summer 0f 2021 [4]
Category: Harry Potter and the Cursed Child - Thorne & Rowling
Genre: Draco tells Scorpius about his past, Gen, Hot Chocolate, Scorpius sends Harry some fan mail
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-01
Updated: 2018-05-28
Packaged: 2019-04-30 16:34:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 9,330
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14501100
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/The_Azkaban_Dreamer/pseuds/The_Azkaban_Dreamer
Summary: The time has come for Draco Malfoy to tell Scorpius about his past as a Death Eater but it turns out that Scorpius is a big fan of the Saviour of the Wizarding World





	1. The Wrong Choices

**Author's Note:**

> This is part one of three of a story I'm working on and I'm still working on the third chapter and this has been sitting in my documents for a while now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is part one of three of a story I'm working on and I'm still working on the third chapter and this has been sitting in my documents for a while now.

Draco Malfoy was pacing the length of the hallway, unsure whether to scream or tear his hear out. This was a complete disaster. How on earth did Scorpius find out? He had always made sure to hide his past from his son. Is this the day that his son turns his back on him? will his past sins destroy one of the most comforting relationships in his life? Draco felt sick, restrained. He wished he could run from this Manor and leave everything behind, but he knew that there was no chance of running away. Not this time. He would have to face the consequences.

"Draco, you know he's an intelligent child," Astoria said gently, appearing in the doorway to the Drawing Room. "He was bound to find out at one point."

Astoria's soft voice calmed Draco considerably and he stopped his pacing and turned to look at his Wife who was regarding him with motherly concern.

"You don't think my past has disappointed him, do you?" Draco asked his wife worriedly. "Traumatised him? I know how much he admires Harry Potter and his friends. I'm not one of his Gryffindor heroes, Astoria. Far from it. I've let my Son down. I'm not fit to call myself his Father."

He stared bitterly at the expensive rug, not really seeing it, hatred for his Father coursing through his veins; if it were not for Lucius Malfoy and his affiliation with Lord Voldemort, none of this would've happened.

"Talk to him," Astoria said softly, snapping Draco out of his depression. "It's the only way you can resolve this, Draco."

"Right now, I can barely look at myself in the mirror," Draco muttered darkly, wishing that he could reset time itself so that he didn't have to hear his son's hurt voice again. He always knew in his heart of hearts that this day was coming and he dreaded it. But Astoria was ultimately right as always; Scorpius was bound to find out that he was a Death Eater sooner or later and that day had finally come.

Draco remembered the hurt in Scorpius's eyes that morning at breakfast when he confronted Draco about it.

" _You were a Death Eater, Daddy!_ _ **A Death Eater!**_ _" Scorpius had cried, standing up, tears welling in his warm grey eyes. "How could you? How could you burn down that Village? You were my hero!"_

_He had run upstairs before Draco could say anything and Astoria had quickly followed him leaving Draco to his shock._

It turned out that Scorpius had read it in a History book of all places and it wasn't just _any_ history book. It was Rita Skeeter's twisted version of the Second Wizarding War. _'It wasn't even a proper History book,'_ Draco thought bitterly, feeling a fresh surge of anger, noting the irony of having used Skeeter to help spread dirt about Harry Potter, that Skeeter would later turn on him when it suited her needs.

He would have to go to Diagon Alley to buy Scorpius a _proper_ History book after he had retreated to his study to think.

"Locking yourself in your study isn't going to solve anything," Astoria said wisely, as if she knew what Draco was thinking. "Come on, he's in the Library. _Both_ of you need to have a proper talk. It's the only way you can sort this out."

She gently took Draco's hand and led him up the stairs towards the Library. Astoria's touch calmed Draco considerably and he allowed himself to led to the Library. To his doom.

Before he was ready, they were both outside the Library. Astoria gently knocked and pushed the door open.

"Scorpius, sweetheart, is it okay if we could join you?" Astoria asked gently.

Six-year-old Scorpius was perched on the leather sofa sitting on a mountain on cushions surrounded by books and bags of sweets. He had an empty glass of Pumpkin juice on the coffee table and he looked at home reading a large tome that was heavier than him.

Scorpius looked up from his book and smiled at Astoria and nodded. He glanced at Draco and quickly looked away. Draco's heart sunk. Scorpius was already starting to fear him, he noted sadly. He didn't know what he could say in order to fix this mess.

Astoria let go of his hand and Draco felt his anxiety return. He had a lot of explaining to do. Astoria sat down on the leather sofa opposite Scorpius and motioned for Draco to join her. Draco reluctantly followed and he could feel his son's gaze upon him. It felt a lot like that time when he had been caught out of bed by Professor McGonagall back in his First Year at Hogwarts.

Draco joined Astoria and glanced at Scorpius. His son was looking at him intently, his eyes, grey like Draco's, had a lot of Astoria's warmth and they shone in a way that Draco's never did. Scorpius was looking at him wearily and Draco felt the guilt bubble up again, trying and failing to find the words.

"Would it be alright if Daddy talks to you about a couple of things?" Astoria asked Scorpius sweetly.

"I don't see why not," Scorpius replied seriously sounding a lot older than six. He took a Jelly Slug and popped it into his mouth. "Is it to do with the Broomstick? I didn't know how windy it was when I went flying and I didn't mean to upset you. It was really, really scary. I've never been so high. I was even higher than our house. I won't be doing that again in a hurry."

"No, Scorpius," Astoria smiled. "It's not about the broomstick, darling. Daddy has a few things that he wants to discuss with you if that's okay with you."

"Is it about what I said at breakfast?" Scorpius said quietly, looking down at his feet which were dangling over the sofa which his cushions were perched on and taking another Jelly Slug. Draco and Astoria both exchanged a look and Astoria nodded at Draco and motioned him to say something.

"Yes," Draco said heavily after a moment's pause.

"I didn't mean to shout, Daddy," Scorpius said quietly. "I was just very shocked to read it. Did you really burn down a village full of Muggles?"

"Rita Skeeter is known to twist the truth, Scorpius," Draco said seriously, trying to force down the bubbling anger that surfaced in the pit of his stomach again. "She's not a proper Historian, son. She's a journalist. She's paid to lie about people. I didn't do half the things that she said I did."

"So, you _were_ a Death Eater?" Scorpius asked quietly, looking hurt. "I thought it was a mistake."

Draco bowed his head in shame, unable to look at his son's hurt expression.

"I was a Death Eater, Scorpius," He said finally, letting out a long sigh. "But before you judge me, I want you to know that I was forced into it. I didn't have a choice in the matter. I young and with youth came naivety and foolishness. Most people at the age of sixteen are usually caught up in romantic drama. Something I would have preferred."

"Was it because of Grumpy Grandfather that you became a Death Eater?" Scorpius asked. "Because I know he's a Death Eater. He's very, _very_ horrible and I've read that he was once in Voldemort's inner circle. Is that why he's always grumpy? Because Voldemort was his friend and he doesn't have a friend anymore."

Astoria chuckled beside Draco as he lifted his head up to see Scorpius looking curious.

"Scorpius, you know you shouldn't call your Grandfather that," Draco chided gently. "But yes, it was because of your Grandfather. He was in Voldemort's inner circle and the choices I made at the age of sixteen were down to his actions and influence. Or more likely his _failures_. I'm not _proud_ of what I've done, and my choices have haunted me to this day."

"Did you _kill_ anyone?" Scorpius asked, sounding so innocent that Draco had to fight back tears.

"No," He sighed. "I'm not a killer, Scorpius. It takes a different type of person to take a life. I may have boasted about it in the past, but when it came to it, I couldn't do it."

The unbidden image of Albus Dumbledore being blasted off the Hogwarts Astronomy tower sprang to Draco's mind. He knew that he could never have killed him. He had plenty of nightmares afterwards of his old Headmaster being killed and it had taken him a long time to recover from them.

"But did you torture people?" Scorpius asked. Draco stilled, remembering the screams of his many victims. Voldemort had often ordered him to torture Death Eaters who had failed him.

"I had no choice," Draco said quietly. "It was torture or be tortured. I didn't enjoy it like my Aunt Bellatrix did, in fact I hated doing it."

Another unbidden image, this time of his Aunt Bellatrix, her face contorted with rage as had her wand on Hermione Granger, who was laying on the floor, screaming in agony. Draco had never forgotten the screams of Hermione Granger and for years, he used to hear them in his nightmares.

"Draco, are you alright?" Astoria asked him. Draco snapped his eyes up to see both Astoria and Scorpius looking at him worriedly; He seemed to have blanked out momentarily.

"Sorry," Draco exhaled, trying to banish the screams of Hermione Granger from his mind.

"The Cruciatus Curse is one of the worst curses known to man, Scorpius." Draco said seriously, causing Scorpius to gaze intently at him. "The intense pain that it causes it victims can cause them permanent insanity. I wasn't sadistic enough to be a proficient caster of the curse, as my Aunt Bellatrix constantly reminded me."

"Was she the mad one?" Scorpius asked.

"Yes," Draco said with a wry smile. "She was the one sent to Azkaban for torturing the Longbottom's to the point of insanity."

Draco's stomach churned with guilt at the memories of bullying Neville Longbottom at Hogwarts. He had always been such an easy target and his reactions were very amusing, but looking back on it now, Draco felt disgusted at his teenage self. Longbottom grew up with his Grandmother as his parents were incapable of taking care of him. Having Scorpius greatly changed his world outlook and he would hate for Scorpius to go through the same thing Longbottom went through.

"You're lucky to live in a world where you don't ever have to worry about the Cruciatus Curse, Scorpius," Draco continued. "It is easy to boast about doing something, but when it actually comes to doing the deed, it's an entirely different matter."

"You don't have to worry about joining the Death Eaters, Scorpius," Astoria smiled. "Whatever your Grandfather says, you are your own person. You live in a world where it doesn't matter whether you are a Pure-Blood or a Muggle-Born."

"Thanks to Harry Potter," Scorpius said happily and Draco tensed.

"That's right," Astoria nodded.

"I've read all about Harry Potter," Scorpius beamed. "He went to School with you, didn't he Daddy? Did you ever speak to him? Were you friends with him? Because that would be really, _really_ great if you were friends with Harry Potter. He's my favourite hero!"

Draco shifted in his seat, guilt bubbling in his stomach like boiling water. His animosity with Harry Potter was over, but he couldn't call him his friend. In fact, he hadn't seen Potter for years. Not since the end of the war.

"I-I wasn't friends with Harry Potter, Scorpius," Draco said solemnly and Scorpius's eager face fell causing a fresh wave of guilt to wash over Draco. "In fact, Potter and I never got along. We were quite the enemies."

The light left Scorpius's eyes as his mouth opened in horror. His whole body seemed to deflate and Astoria got up and gently wrapped her arms around Scorpius.

"I'm sorry, Scorpius," Draco said solemnly, absolutely hating himself. "I _did_ try to be his friend, but Harry Potter always had a strong sense of justice and to be honest, I was a bit of a bully."

"But he's a hero," Scorpius sniffed as he pulled away from Astoria. "He's _my_ hero."

"I know," Draco sighed. "And I wasn't the nicest person around when I went to Hogwarts."

"Your Father and Harry Potter had quite the rivalry at school," Astoria said softly. "They could be quite silly sometimes."

"It wasn't all bad," Draco muttered. "Potter saved my life."

Scorpius's jerked his head to look at Draco, a look of pure astonishment on his face, the light returning to his eyes.

"Really?" He asked eagerly. "Is that true, Daddy? Harry Potter saved your life?"

"He did," Draco said shortly. "Apparently, leaving me to die in a burning room was too much even for him. Just when I thought that I was going to die, he comes soaring down on his broomstick and gets me to safety."

"Did he _really_ save you?" Scorpius asked, his face lighting up again and his eyes brighter than ever before.

"If he didn't, you wouldn't be sitting here," Draco said with a wry smile.

Draco laughed softly at the wonder in Scorpius's eyes. Scorpius started fidgeting with excitement and he looked as if he wanted to say something else.

"I want to thank him," He burst out, sliding off his cushions and onto the floor where he jumped back up again.

"I think that would be rather difficult, Scorpius because I haven't seen or spoken to Potter for years," Draco said hesitantly, feeling unsure where this conversation was going.

"You could write a letter to him," Astoria smiled at Scorpius and Draco looked around at her with alarm.

"I don't think that would be a good idea," Draco said wearily. "Potter wouldn't to be disturbed by the likes of us."

"But I'm saying thank you, Daddy!" Scorpius exclaimed. "It's important to say thank you. Manners go a long way. Don't they Mummy?"

"They do indeed," Astoria beamed. Draco felt very uneasy at the prospect of his Son writing to Harry Potter. What if Potter didn't like it? What if he sent a rude reply to Scorpius? That would really break Scorpius's little heart as he seemed to hero worship Potter. If Potter _ever_ upset Scorpius, Draco would make him regret it. Astoria, as always, seemed to know what Draco was thinking because she sat back down and put a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"Draco, relax," She said softly. "I don't think anything would go wrong if Scorpius wrote to Harry Potter. If anything, it would put a smile on his face. Don't forget he's also got a son Scorpius's age."

"Albus Severus," Scorpius chirped happily. "I've seen him in photos. He looks just like Harry Potter, doesn't he Mummy?"

"He does," Astoria smiled. "Doesn't he? Although he looks slightly overwhelmed being out in public with all those cameras everywhere. The poor boy. He didn't ask for all that fame."

"He's a Potter," Draco muttered. "He's probably lapping it all up like his father and brother."

"No, he doesn't!" Scorpius cried indignantly. "He usually tries to hide from the cameras. I feel sorry for him. He could use a friend."

Scorpius looked so stubborn for a moment, that Draco was lost for words. Astoria looked as if she were trying not to laugh, but Draco could see her eyes twinkling with silent laughter.

"I suppose you can write to Harry Potter," Draco sighed, resigned to the inevitable.

"Thank you, Daddy!" Scorpius cried, jumping forward and hugging Draco. "You're best Daddy _ever_!"

"Even though I was a Death Eater?" Draco asked weakly, patting Scorpius on the back and feeling incredibly touched.

"But you're not now," Scorpius mumbled, pulling away and looking at Draco with wide eyes that sparkled with happiness. "You're my Daddy and that's the most important thing that matters to me. I already guessed that you were a Death Eater, anyway. Grumpy Grandfather said something about it during dinner the other day. It was really mean of him. It wasn't your fault that you were forced to be a Death Eater. It was his fault."

Draco smiled, ignoring Scorpius's nickname for Lucius just this once. His son didn't hate him for what he was and that was the best feeling in the world.

"You'll never have to go through what I went through, Scorpius," Draco said firmly. "I promise you."

"And I promise you that as well, Scorpius," Astoria said, her eyes blazing fiercely. "Now, didn't want to write a letter to Harry Potter?"

"Okay" Scorpius beamed, his little face lighting up and he rushed to the door.

"Don't forget to use your best handwriting," Astoria smiled, getting up and opening the door for him. "You should always make sure to make a good impression when writing to people."

Scorpius opened the door of the Library and ran out excitedly, moving as fast as a Snitch. Draco put his head in his hands and let out a long sigh.

"That went far better than I thought it would," He sighed weakly.

"I told you that talking to him would resolve things," Astoria said softly, wandering back to Draco and putting her hand on his shoulder.

"I have no idea why someone like me deserves someone patient and understanding like you," Draco said, as he stood up and reached out and tucked a strand of Astoria's hair behind her ear. "I am truly blessed to have you and Scorpius in my life."

"I think anyone who seeks a chance at redemption, deserves a second chance, Draco," Astoria smiled, taking his hand and interlocking their fingers.

Draco always enjoyed these moments with Astoria where they would be alone and simply enjoy the feeling of each other's presence.

"Do you think Harry Potter would be okay with Scorpius writing to him?" Draco asked worriedly. "I hope Potter doesn't take it the wrong way."

"He won't," Astoria said softly. "I don't know Harry Potter that well, but I do know that he'd never snub a Six-year-old child."

"I hope you're right," Draco muttered. "It's been a long time since I've had anything to do with Harry Potter. At least Scorpius doesn't despise my innards as I thought he would."

"He's got so much love inside him, that I don't think that he knows how to hate," Astoria said wisely. "Now let's see how he's doing. Knowing our son, Scorpius has probably written Harry Potter a foot-long essay on how much he admires him. I don't think he should read _that_."

"I would love to see Potter's face if he did read it though," Draco said dryly before catching the look on Astoria's face. "Although it might be prudent to check up on him." He added hastily.

As Astoria left the Library and made her way to Scorpius's room, Draco sank back down onto the sofa and laughed with relief. It _wasn't_ a disaster. His son didn't hate him for his past and still loved him like he did yesterday. He knew he was lucky to have Astoria in his life and he thanked the stars for her every day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Part Two will be up next week.


	2. Dear Harry Potter

It was a sunny Saturday morning and Harry Potter was in the kitchen, half listening for his three children who were playing outside and catching up with the post that he had missed having just got back from a week long Auror mission. After shifting through numerous letters and deciding to postpone reading an incredibly long letter from the Hogwarts Potions Master Horace Slughorn, Harry set his eyes on an pale green envelope that had large, neat handwriting addressed to him. Harry paused, scrutinising the envelope and turning it over to reveal a wax seal of a coat of arms adorned with Dragons and bearing a spiky M.

Trepidition filled Harry as he stared at the wax seal, recognising it to be the coat of arms for the Malfoys. Why was Draco Malfoy writing to Harry? Harry hadn't seen him in years. Turning the envelope over, he looked at it again and scrutinised the handwriting; it looked as if it had been written by a child. Harry had heard that Draco Malfoy had a son. Why would his son be writing to him? Curiosity getting the better of him, Harry opened the envolope took out the small piece of parchment and turned it over to reveal a note:

> _Dear Harry Potter,_
> 
> _Thank you for defeating Voldemort and saving my Daddy's life so he could meet my Mummy and they could get married and have me. You are my favourite hero and I have read all about you and when I grow up, I want to be just like you._
> 
> _Yours Sincerely,_
> 
> _Scorpius Malfoy, aged 6_

Harry read the note and couldn't stop grinning. Draco Malfoy's _son_ was writing to him to thank him. He had heard a lot of rumours about Scorpius Malfoy that he might be the child of Voldemort He took them with a pinch of salt. The rumours had been going around for years that Voldemort had had a child.

Harry felt deeply touched, but slightly taken aback at receiving this note. It wasn't how he thought the child of Draco Malfoy would behave. Truth be told, he hasn't seen Draco Malfoy for a while. The Malfoys locked themselves in their large Manor rarely interacting with anyone. It was a far cry from the heyday of Lucius Malfoy, who used to strut about the Ministry of Magic like a Peacock.

"What are you reading?" Ginny asked him, entering the kitchen carrying a laundry basket that was full to the brim.

Harry showed her the note and she read it with a slow smile creeping across her face.

"That's so nice of him," She gushed. "Look at his handwriting. It's far neater than James's."

"You don't think it's a joke, do you?" Harry asked her quietly. "He _is_ Draco Malfoy's son."

Ginny's expression hardened slightly as she glared at him incredulously.

"Harry, he's a six-year-old boy writing to his hero," She said firmly.

"I know that," Harry winced, regretting opening his mouth. "It's just… I don't know. I haven't heard from Draco Malfoy for years and all of a sudden, his son starts writing to me out of the blue. I just find that a bit odd."

"You've been spending too much time with Ron," Ginny muttered, shaking her head. "He's just a boy who wanted to thank you. I don't find anything odd about that. Besides, I thought you'd moved on from your animosity with Draco."

"I have," Harry said. "I suppose I didn't expect this sort of thing from a Malfoy."

"There _have_ been a lot of rumours about him lately," Ginny said slowly. "The poor boy. No child deserves that sort of thing."

"He's the same age as Albus," Harry muttered looking at the note again.

"That's right," Ginny nodded, beginning to sort out the laundry. "They'll be going to Hogwarts together."

Guilt suddenly bubbled up in the pit of Harry's stomach. How could he have been so stupid in thinking that this was some sort of joke? It was clearly written from the heart and it meant a lot to Harry that Scorpius Malfoy had taken the time to write to him.

He usually received a lot fan mail due to being the Wizard who had finally put an end to Lord Voldemort. Most of the letters he had received usually asked for money or favours. But this one seemed to be more personal and heartfelt and he suddenly felt tears pricking a the corners of his eyes. He'll have to do something, but what?

" _Why_ does James get muddy all the time?" Ginny stormed, holding up a pair of James's mud splattered jeans at arm's length. Harry caught a quick whiff of manure. "I _swear_ I washed those the other day! And _why_ in the name of Merlin has he got _frogspawn_ in his pockets? What _has_ that boy been doing?"

"I'll have to write to him," Harry said suddenly.

"What, _James?"_ Ginny snorted, throwing the jeans into the enchanted washing mangle which clucked to life and began to turn and wash the jeans.

"That sounds a bit formal, doesn't it? Writing to your son because he got his Jeans dirty. I know I'm tempted to send him a Howler when he's in bed, but I'm sure that'll traumatise the little-"

"Not James," Harry cut across her. "Scorpius Malfoy."

Ginny looked at him significantly.

"I think you should," She said seriously. "I know you can't reply to _every_ letter you get, but it would really brighten up that little boy's day, having his hero write back to him. Children are inspired by your story and they see you as someone who they can look up to. Writing back to him will make that hero a lot more real to him."

"You really think so?" Harry asked her and Ginny nodded.

"The problem is that everyone wants a piece of you and you can't give your time to everyone," She said. "But when you acknowledge someone, it really makes their day. I remember that day in Flourish and Blotts when Lockhart dragged to the front in order to make his announcement and he gave you a free set of his books and you gave them to me. That small act of kindness meant a lot to me that day, Harry. Doing something for Scorpius Malfoy will mean a lot to him, too. I don't think that that boy has much interaction with people, anyway. The Malfoys hardly leave their Manor."

"I'm lucky to have you," Harry smiled, taking time to marvel at how well Ginny knew him. "Aren't I?"

"Yes, you are," Ginny winked. "But we're not _still_ having any more kids."

"I'm happy with the three we've got," Harry said as the kitchen window smashed and a Bludger came pelting through causing Harry and Ginny to duck. Harry stopped the Bludger with a wave of his wand "Most of the time," He added dryly and Ginny grinned at him.

"Mum! _**DAAAAAD**_!" Albus yelled. "James broke a window."

"I didn't mean to, dad!" James called. "Lily pushed me!"

"It was _my_ turn, James!" Lily whined. "Mum! _Daddy!_ Tell James he has to share!"

Ginny grimaced and closed her eyes for a moment.

"No rest for the wicked," She muttered before she left the kitchen for the garden leaving Harry to think.

* * *

The morning post had arrived and Scorpius picked it up and looked at the letters. Three letters had arrived, one from his Grandfather to his Dad and the other from his Aunt Daphne to his Mum and then there was a letter for Scorpius. Scorpius stared at it, wondering who could be writing to him. He knew it wasnt his Hogwarts letter. You had to be eleven to get one of those. Nobody ever wrote to Scorpius. Who could it be? Could it possibly be _him_? Scorpius refused to get his hopes up. Afterall _he_ wouldn't want to write to a Malfoy. Yet this mystery was slowly getting to him and the longer he stood there, the less time he would have in order to find out who could be writing to him.

With trembling fingers, he slowly opened the envelope and took out the piece of parchment inside and gently unfolded it and read the spidery handwriting:

> _Dear Scorpius Malfoy,_
> 
> _Thank you for your letter. I hope you have a great day. Send your Dad my best wishes._
> 
> _Kind regards,  
> _
> 
> _Harry Potter_

Scorpius couldn't stop reading the short letter. He couldn't believe it! It was a letter from _Harry Potter_ of all people. He didn't think that he would _ever_ get a reply from Harry Potter. Not in a Million years.

"What's that you're reading, Scorpius?" Astoria asked him as she entered the dining room.

Scorpius excitedly handed her the note and she looked at it in surprise.

"He wrote back to me!" Scorpius exclaimed, unable to contain his excitment and jumping up and down and showing her the note. "Harry Potter wrote back to me, Mummy!"

"Did he really? That's brilliant!" Astoria beamed and took the note from Scorpius. Astoria read the note and a soft smile appeared on her face.

"I told you everything would be okay," She said softly as Draco entered the Dining Room looking puzzled.

"Scorpius, is everything okay?" Draco asked worriedly, looking between Scorpius and Astoria. "Why are you jumping up and down?"

"Harry Potter wrote back to me, Daddy!" Scorpius exclaimed, bounding over to Draco. "He _actually_ wrote back to me! I can't believe it. I didn't think he would _ever_ write back to me. This is the best day ever!"

Astoria smiled at Scorpius and gently handed Draco the note and placed her hand on his shoulder. As Draco read the note, his face became less tense and he let out a sigh.

"He gives you his best wishes," Astoria said softly to Draco who nodded curtly.

"I'm glad he's had the decency to write back to Scorpius," He muttered. "I was starting to think the worst."

"Didn't I say that everything would be alright?" Astoria asked gently, lightly tapping him on the nose. "I thought you'd moved on from your feud with him."

"I have," Draco sighed. "I was just worried about the way he would respond to Scorpius's note."

"If anything, I think it brightened up his day," Astoria smiled. "He's certainly brightened up Scorpius's. I imagine having your hero write back to you is quite uplifting. Especially for a child. Look how happy he is."

Draco looked at Scorpius who was still skipping with jubillation and his expression softened into a fond smile.

"You'll have to put this away somewhere safe, Scorpius," Draco said, handing Scorpius the note. "Unless you want it framed on the wall somewhere?"

"I want to put it in my room, Daddy," Scorpius said, finally standing still. "So I know it's there. It's not everyday that I get a letter from Harry Potter. Do you think I could write to him again? I've got so many questions for him. Maybe that would be too much. I wouldn't want to keep pestering him. I suppose he gets a lot of letters. I'm just happy with his reply. He really didn't have to do that."

Scorpius was grateful that Harry Potter took the time to write back to him. He'll treasure this note forever. He will never throw this away.

He'll keep it safe.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There will be a longer wait for part three, but it will be coming. Thanks for bearing with me.


	3. I was Six!

The Summer after Fourth Year was an unforgettable time for Scorpius Malfoy. It was almost two years since his mother had died and it was also the Summer that he was finally able to visit the house of his best friend, Albus Severus Potter.

It was very strange at first, seeing his Dad being civil with Harry Potter and sharing a couple of jokes with him. Scorpius was initially worried that one of them was going to ruin things by saying something stupid. But that didn't come to pass.

In fact, as first visits go, Scorpius thought that his visit to the Potter's was going rather smoothly. He was slightly shocked by the haphazardness of the Potter's home. Their entire house was bursting with noise and spontaneity and there was always someone who was coming or going. When Scorpius had first arrived, he got a massive shock when he heard a loud bang coming from James's room, but Albus told him that it quite common.

But it wasn't the hectic, haphazard house that surprised Scorpius. Nor the banging coming from James's room or even the set of dishes that danced themselves dry after being washed. It was the fact that everybody here seemed to like him and treat him as if he were a member of their family.

Ginny Potter would constantly fuss over him, always asking him if he's okay and making sure that he gets second helpings of each meal. She reminded Scorpius a lot of his Mum and he noted that with a pang of sadness.

Scorpius liked James a lot and found him to be rather funny. James would always make Scorpius laugh with his jokes and he would spend time talking to Scorpius about Quidditch and would tell him stories about Albus when he was little. He was very easy going and would often banter a lot with Lily.

Lily would often talk Scorpius's ear off. He had never met a girl who was so chatty. She could talk about anything and she often talked to Scorpius about Care of Magical Creatures, a subject that she was excited to take. Scorpius was sure if she were left to her own devices, she could talk for hours. Harry and Ginny often had to get her away from Scorpius in order to give him some peace. Scorpius didn't mind, he quite enjoyed the attention and the company of someone who wasn't Albus for a change.

Then there was Harry Potter. When Scorpius first arrived, Harry seemed unsure of him and it was only after seeing Albus run up and hug him did Harry warm to him. Harry would often strike up a conversation with Scorpius, trying to get to know him and find out about his interests. Scorpius enjoyed his conversations with Harry. They were a lot like his conversations that he has with Albus and Scorpius was surprised at how easy it had become after the initial shock had worn away. He had spent dinner talking to Harry about Hogwarts and its secret passages. He was surprised at many shortcuts there were and he was itching to try and find them with Albus.

Yet at the back of his mind, Scorpius remembered when Harry had tried to separate Scorpius from Albus. Harry had never brought up their adventure in conversations and Scorpius was sure that he was trying to avoid it, but Scorpius half-wished that he was given an apology for the treatment that he had went through last year.

* * *

It was the evening before his last day at the Potters and the five of them were gathered in their cluttered living room drinking steaming mugs of Hot Chocolate which according to James, was a rare holiday treat before they returned to Hogwarts in a fortnight.

Scorpius carried his mug into the living room only to find that there was nowhere to sit. Lily was curled up in one of the armchairs and was reading a book about Unicorns and the other armchair was piled up with James's Quidditch gear and Ginny was sitting in the other one working on an article, her typewriter clattering away whilst Harry was sitting on the sofa between James and Albus, talking quietly to Albus.

Scorpius was pleased to see Albus finally getting along with his Dad and couldn't help but smile at the sight of Harry and Albus sitting next to each other contentedly. Albus caught Scorpius's eye and gave him a big grin, causing the rest of the Potters to notice his presence. Scorpius returned Albus's grin with a beam of his own.

James looked around at Scorpius standing in the doorway, drained his mug and leapt up.

"You can have my seat, Scorpy," He said cheerfully, beckoning Scorpius in. "Can I call you Scorpy? I've got to go and do something. Be back in a minute."

"Where are you off to?" Harry asked, looking around at James who darted to the doorway.

"My room," James said evasively sprinting out of the living room. "I'm writing to someone, friend of mine. I promised I'd write to her."

"He's writing to his _girlfriend_ ," Lily smirked, not looking up from her book.

"She's not my girlfriend," James called as he thundered up the stairs. Scorpius exchanged a look with Albus who looked away, trying not to laugh.

"She will be," Lily muttered, taking a sip of her Hot Chocolate.

Scorpius sat gingerly on the edge of the sofa next to Harry and sipped his Hot Chocolate.

"Is that hot enough, Scorpius?" Harry asked and Scorpius nodded.

"Yes, it is. Thank you," Scorpius said. "And it's very chocolaty, too. Reminds me of the ones my Mum used to make. She'd also add in marshmallows and whipped cream and chocolate sprinkles and all sorts of sweets."

"That sounds nice," Harry smiled. "I'll have to try making that one day. So, have you been enjoying your Summer?"

"Yes, it's been fun," Scorpius said. "Thank you for inviting me to stay here. I've really enjoyed it. I've always been lonely in the Summer and writing letters isn't the same as meeting someone in person."

"I know what you mean," Harry nodded. "I always used to hate the Summer holidays."

"We've been happy to have you with us, Scorpius," Ginny said, looking up from her typewriter.

"That's right," Harry nodded. "You'll be welcome to come around again. So, are looking forward to going back to Hogwarts?"

"I am." Scorpius nodded. "I've always enjoyed going to Hogwarts, despite the difficulties and I'm looking forward to Fifth Year. It's OWL year. I can't believe we're going to be Fifth years already. Time flies!"

Scorpius suddenly realised what he had just said and panic and embarrassment flooded him as Harry gave him a curious look.

"Well what I mean is that it goes by very quickly," Scorpius said hastily. "Time flies. It's a funny expression, isn't it? My Mum used to use that quite a lot and I tend to quote her without even realising it."

"It would be nice to return to Hogwarts," Albus said, hastily drawing Harry's attention to him.

"I thought you hated it there." Harry frowned and Albus shrugged.

"I dunno," He said slowly. "I think that in a way, it's kind of grown on me."

"That's good to hear, Albus," Harry said, patting Albus on the back. "You deserve to have a good year for once."

"Yes, Hogwarts is amazing," Scorpius said enthusiastically. "I love the Castle. It's steeped in so much history that my geekiness is always a quivering. I can't wait to find the secret passageways. It would be so great to explore them all. Did you know that I used to play Hogwarts when I was growing up? I used to run about the Manor dressed in my Dad's old school robes pretending to ward off Dementors. Well, I used to call them 'Demenders', but I was Six."

He stuck his chin out defiantly as Albus gave him a funny look. Lily caught Ginny's eye and started giggling behind her hand. Harry gave Scorpius a knowing smile and Scorpius felt a fresh wave of embarrassment wash over him.

"Well, what I mean is that I've read all about you," He stammered, putting his mug down on the coffee table.

"I know," Harry said with a smile. "You mentioned that when you had sent that letter to me,"

 _Thud_. Lily's book slid onto the floor and she jerked her head up in interest, a big grin on her face.

"A letter?" Albus and Lily asked, Albus looking bemused, Lily ecstatic whilst Ginny looked up from her work and shot Scorpius a soft smile.

"What's that about a letter?" James asked, appearing in the doorway of the Living room.

"Scorpius had written a short letter to me when he was six," Harry said. "Thanking me for defeating Voldemort."

Lily let out a squeal of delight.

" _Oooh_ , Scorpius! Did you really? That sounds _sooo_ sweet!" She exclaimed. "Have you still got it, Dad? I would love to see it."

"I think I'd like to see it as well," Albus muttered, shooting Scorpius a questioning look.

"Yeah, come on, Dad," James grinned. "I'd like to see what young Scorpius sent you. Show us the evidence."

"I get quite a lot of letters," Harry continued, getting up and stretching. "Some good, some not so good and I can't keep them all. But I've always kept yours, Scorpius."

Harry made his way to the cluttered desk in the corner. Scorpius liked that desk as it had a couple of photos of Albus when he was little. Scorpius's favourite photo was of James, Albus and Lily sitting side by side, grinning and waving up at the camera. Albus looked so happy in that photo. Harry opened one of the drawers and dug around for a moment before taking out a yellowing piece of parchment.

"Let me see that," Albus said, placing his mug next to Scorpius's, jumping to his feet and taking the piece of parchment from Harry's hand and unfolded it. Harry sat down in his rickety desk chair as James quickly darted and took Albus's empty seat on the sofa.

Trepidation filled Scorpius as Albus opened the letter. He took one look at the piece of parchment and snorted.

"What does it say?" Lily asked eagerly.

" _Dear Harry Potter,"_ Albus read, a grin appearing across his face.

" _Thank you for defeating Voldemort and saving my Daddy's life so he could meet my Mummy and they could get married and have me."_

"I was six, Albus," Scorpius said quietly as Lily cooed with delight and James snickered behind his hand. Albus looked up at Scorpius with a wry grin, his brilliant green eyes alight with mischief.

" _You are my favourite hero and I have read all about you and when I grow up, I want to be just like you._ "Albus's grin got wider and Scorpius felt as if his whole face were on fire. He was certain that he was going to die of embarrassment at this very moment.

"I was Six," He moaned, briefly placing his head in his hands. When he looked up, Lily looked as if she were trying contain her excitement whilst James was still snickering behind his hand. Scorpius caught his eye and James grinned at him apologetically. James was obviously laughing at the dry tone that Albus was reading in.

" _Yours Sincerely, Scorpius Malfoy, aged 6"_ Albus looked up from the note again with a cheeky grin on his face and his eyes saying it all. Scorpius felt as if his cheeks were on fire

" _Ooohhh,_ Scorpius that was _soooo_ adorable!" Lily exclaimed, unable to contain her excitement any longer and she jumped from her armchair in delight.

" _Aww_. Wasn't he the cutest?" James grinned as he ruffled Scorpius's hair. Scorpius ducked away shyly, his face bright red. "Oh look, he's gone all red now."

Lily burst into a fit of giggles at the sight of Scorpius's red face.

"You wanted to be _just_ like my Dad?" Albus smirked, looking at him significantly and Scorpius knew what was on Albus's mind; Scorpius had drunk Polyjuice potion last year and had assumed Harry's appearance. Scorpius's insides squirmed at the very memory and he wished that the whole ground would swallow him. "That's weird."

" _I was six!_ " Scorpius squeaked, surprised that he found his voice.

"You once sent a letter to Gonçalo Flores, Albus," Ginny said, looking at Albus significantly whose grin faded and was replaced with a scowl. "And if I remember correctly, you were quite excited to meet him as well."

"And James and Lily were both excited to meet Viktor Krum at the World Cup in Brazil," Harry added.

"Oh yeah!" James exclaimed. "I forgot about that. I didn't send a letter to him though telling him that he was my favourite Quidditch player." He shot Scorpius a cheeky grin and Scorpius groaned, praying that this torture would be over soon.

"No, you told him that yourself," Harry muttered and Lily giggled.

"Your letter put a smile on our faces that day, Scorpius," Ginny said, smiling warmly at Scorpius. "We're very glad that you send it."

"Thank you," Scorpius said shyly. "I wanted to send an even longer letter. But my Mum told me short and sweet would do the treat. It was my Mum's idea that I write a letter thanking you, by the way. She used to sing ' _manners, they go a long way!_ ' Or something like that. Bad idea, sorry."

Scorpius ducked his head shyly, his face as red as a tomato as James, Albus and Lily burst out laughing.

"That's very good, Scorpius," Ginny beamed.

"And that was a nice letter," Harry said. "It has to be my favourite. I've never apologised to you for what I put you through last year, did I?"

The atmosphere in the living room changed considerably. The grin from Lily's face vanished and she sank back down in her armchair. The clattering of Ginny's typewriter stopped and she looked up, watching Harry carefully. James became uncharacteristically quiet and he looked between Harry and Scorpius. Albus sat down next to Scorpius and put a protective arm around his shoulders.

"No, I don't think you did," Scorpius said quietly. "But I know you've been busy. With Delphi's trial and the other things, you've been doing. I'm just glad she's finally locked up in Azkaban."

"Well, let me say to you that I'm sorry, Scorpius," Harry said, running a hand through his hair. "I'm sorry for putting you through all that pain last year. I'm sorry to both of you for separating the pair of you." Harry continued, looking Scorpius right in the eye. "Your Dad was right; I see it now, how the pair of you shine together. Something that I should've seen from the start. You don't deserve the rumours. Voldemort could never have fathered someone so kind as you, so full of love. I was a fool to have listened to Bane. I was blinded by panic, blinded by love that I didn't stop and think. You're definitely not a black cloud, Scorpius."

"You're a ray of sunshine," Lily said simply.

"Thank you, Lily," Harry smiled at her before turning back to Scorpius. "You're not a black cloud, Scorpius. You are a brilliant wizard and I think that you will go far in whatever you decide to do, and I'm sorry for letting you down. I know how much you've looked up to me and I hope we can move past this."

Silence followed Harry's speech and Scorpius felt a mix of emotions swirling through him slightly overwhelming him. Tears picked the corner of his eyes and Albus gently squeezed his shoulder.

"I forgive you," Scorpius sniffled, wiping the back of his hand across his face. "We all make mistakes. I know I've made a fair few myself and I know that you would do anything to protect your family. I can't blame you for that. But thank you for apologising to me. That means a lot."

Scorpius stood up, causing Albus to unwrap his arm from Scorpius's shoulder and Scorpius moved forward to Harry, extending his hand out. Harry stood and shook Scorpius's hand, a warm smile on his face.

Scorpius felt a large amount of relief that he finally received an apology and an odd feeling swept over him; it was as if by shaking hands, he and Harry had signed some sort of magical pact that enabled them to move past from their previous troubles.

The very thought of that sent tingles up Scorpius's spine. At that moment, he felt giddy with relief and he suddenly realised that it was Harry Potter who he was shaking hands with.

"I always wanted to be like you," Scorpius said, letting go of Harry's hand. "Go on adventures like you did with Ron and Hermione. Last year I got that wish, but after I got stuck in that timeline were Voldemort won, I began to appreciate you in a new light. It was complete _hell_ in that timeline. I wouldn't have reversed it if it weren't for the help of Snape. I couldn't have done what you've done every year and it was getting slightly annoying last year when everybody was asking us questions. They seemed to think what we did was rather _cool_."

"Doing stuff like that always sounds cooler than it actually is," Harry said wisely, sitting back down. "I've been telling people that for years."

"I thought that that story of you and Uncle Ron flying that car to Hogwarts was cool," James grinned cheekily, looking relieved now that there was no more tension in the air. "I wouldn't mind trying it myself."

"You'd be regretting it when you'll be in detention," Harry said darkly. "We were lucky to not be expelled."

"That Howler that your Gran sent to Ron was quite funny," Ginny said with a smile. "The look on his face was priceless."

James looked at his mother and Scorpius saw it dawn on him what Ginny was implying. The grin vanished from his face and Scorpius exchanged a grin with Albus whilst Lily was giggling at James's expression.

"We've always been thankful to you for being such a good friend to Albus," Ginny said firmly looking at Scorpius.

"We have," Harry nodded. "And I'm sorry for not showing it."

Harry caught Albus's eye and the two of them looked at each other for a moment and something unspoken seemed to pass between them. Albus smiled and nodded.

"Thanks, Dad," He said quietly and Harry beamed at him.

"Well look at the time," He said, as he glanced at his battered watch. "You boys should finish your Hot Chocolates otherwise it'll be midnight before you settle down."

Scorpius glanced down at his mug of Hot Chocolate on the coffee table and took a sip, his mind whirring around as he finished his Hot Chocolate.

* * *

When he was getting ready for bed, Scorpius kept replaying his conversation with Harry. The embarrassment of having his letter read out to him by Albus had worn off and looking back, Scorpius noted that none of the Potters were really laughing at him. They were laughing at the dry tone that Albus was reading the letter in. Scorpius allowed himself to smile, remembering the way Albus's green eyes lit up when he read the short letter and how wide his grin was.

Scorpius always loved making Albus laugh and Albus had laughed a lot during Scorpius's stay at the Potters. Scorpius was quite surprised that his letter had come up. He had forgotten about writing that letter years ago.

Scorpius had just finished brushing his teeth and he made his way into Albus's room and made a beeline for the camp bed that was set up next to Albus's bed. Albus was pulling on his pyjamas when Scorpius entered the room and he looked round at Scorpius who was in no mood to be teased again.

"Shut up, Albus," Scorpius groaned and he pulled back the covers of his camp bed. Albus raised an eyebrow at him.

"I didn't say anything," He said. "I was just looking at you."

"You had that dry, Albus-y look in your eye," Scorpius said. "I just know that you're going to say something about me writing to your Dad when I was little. I was Six, okay? I used to love reading about your Dad, dressing up as him and going on adventures. My own Dad had just told me that he was a Death Eater when he was our age and that Harry Potter had saved his life. I just wanted to thank your Dad."

"Scorpius, I'm not going to tease you," Albus said calmly. "I thought the letter was, well… Sweet."

"Sweet?" Scorpius squeaked, his face going red again. He stared at Albus who went red as well.

"Yeah," Albus said hesitantly, looking Scorpius in the eye, his cheeks flushing a dark red. "I thought it was very sweet, very you. It was open and honest and it reminded me bit of you when you were eleven. You were so innocent back then, and I can imagine that you were even more innocent when you were six."

Scorpius felt his cheeks turning even redder and he ducked his head shyly.

"That's a nice thing to say," Scorpius mumbled. "I thought you looked quite sweet in that photo on your Dad's desk. And you looked so happy as well. In fact, you've looked very happy over the past week. It's a nice change."

"I think having my best friend coming to stay with me for a week and having my Dad accept him is enough to make anyone happy," Albus smiled at Scorpius and Scorpius beamed back.

They lapsed into a comfortable silence before Scorpius spoke again.

"He wrote back to me, you know," He said.

"Did he?" Albus asked, frowning slightly and Scorpius nodded.

"You should've seen me when I received it. I couldn't stop jumping up and down." Scorpius said.

Albus snorted and grinned.

"I didn't expect to get a reply. He didn't _have_ to write back to me," Scorpius continued. "My Dad told me that he didn't get on with your Dad and I thought that he would ignore me, but he didn't. I've still got his letter safe in my room. It was very nice of him. I'll have to show it to you one day."

"That's really nice of him," Albus said quietly. "My Mum told me the other week that the best bits of Harry Potter are heroic in really quiet ways. Something that I'm beginning to see more and more. I'm glad he wrote back to you. You deserved it."

Albus wrapped his arms around Scorpius in a hug, taking him by surprise.

"Oh, hello," Scorpius mumbled, clumsily wrapping his arms around Albus. "We do this now, the hugging. Don't we? It's the new version of us. I'm still getting used to it."

Albus laughed softly and they continued to hug for a moment before Albus pulled back and looked at Scorpius affectionately, a soft smile on his face.

"I wouldn't have sent a letter to your Dad if my Dad hadn't told me about his past as a Death Eater," Scorpius thoughtfully.

"I'm glad you wrote to him," Albus said softly. "And I'm glad he's apologised to you for what he put you through last year."

"That was rather nice of him, wasn't it?" Scorpius said. "I know he's different from what I've read about him, but I admire him more because he tries. I always used to think of him as this hero unafraid of everything."

"So, did I," Albus muttered. "But he's not. He gets scared like the rest of us. He showed me that last year."

"I saw that too," Scorpius said quietly. "When we saw Voldemort murder your Grandparents, he fell to pieces. It made me realise then, that despite all the books painting him as a hero, he's just a person, like the rest of us. Like my Dad. When I was Six, I used to think that my he could do no wrong and then I found out that he was a Death Eater. But he told me that he was forced into it. A bit like your Dad, really."

"He's been trying quite hard to fix things between us," Albus said. "And I'm glad he's apologised to you. We can finally move past this and get on with our lives."

Scorpius nodded and the two of them got into their beds. Scorpius's mind was still spinning and between that and Albus's snores, he wasn't sure if he would get to sleep. Yet the knowledge that Harry Potter had accepted him as Albus's friend, had written back to him when he was six relaxed him.

For the first time since his mother's death and the business with the Time-Turner, Scorpius felt content. This visit to the Potters went far better than expected and he dreamt of running around the Manor dressed in an oversized robe, holding a toy wand in one hand and some round glasses to his face in the other hand and his Mother's voice ringing in his ears.

_"Thank you for saving us, Harry Potter!"_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story was originally meant to be three seperate one-shots with a connecting theme, but I decided to combine them into one story.


End file.
